No doubt, if I asked you to think about a difficult question or a challenging topic, perhaps you automatically think of a rather negative example. When we think about difficult and challenging things we automatically associate those things with negativity like an emotional nerve reflex. We struggle with the idea of suffering. A difficult topic might be political polarization. A challenging question like “why did the Vietnam war happen?” doesn’t conjure up pleasant feelings.
Having such an intellectual bent means we may miss the fact that difficulty and challenge can be associated with some of the most awesome and exhilarating topics and questions to be pondered by any person. But of course the pending automatic recoil at the emotional distress holds us back from this adventure. Naturally we want to avoid this negativity. However, it’s not only the negatives we are avoiding, but also the joys we are (unknowingly) avoiding.
Thinking on the character of God is a very challenging and yet deeply rewarding experience. To consider the nature of the Trinity has some of the deepest mysteries embedded into it. To pick through the nature of the atonement is not only to face the horror of it, but more so the inexhaustible depths of God’s love. Even pondering the most difficult paradox of all (at least by our standards), human suffering, offers rewards of insight into the character of God we would never get otherwise.
Don’t let difficulty put you off the joys of these discoveries. If you think the pain of tough topics is too great to warrant their consideration, consider the opposite, that the joys of God’s unsearchable character are more rewarding than even the most painful struggles.
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Rom. 11:33)
Bigvai and Shiphrah 